Shelby native and former Gardner-Webb player Jim Washburn has joined the Detroit Lions’ coaching staff, where he will work with a defensive line that includes Nadamakong Suh and Nick Fairley.

But of even more importance to the NFL coaching veteran, he’ll be working with his son Jeremiah Washburn on the staff. The younger Washburn is Detroit’s offensive line coach.

Additionally, Lions head coach Jim Schwartz is one of Jim Washburn’s best friends in the coaching industry.

“Once Jim Schwartz reached out to me, there was no other job I was interested in,” Jim Washburn said in a phone interview Wednesday. “It was maybe a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Jeremiah Washburn was promoted this offseason from assistant offensive line coach, a position he held from 2009-12. The younger Washburn played for his father for part of his college career at Arkansas after attending Shelby High but graduating elsewhere.

Then Jeremiah Washburn was a graduate assistant for the Razorbacks from 2000-01, a football operations assistant for the Carolina Panthers in 2002, and a player personnel assistant for two years and area scout for four years while working for the Baltimore Ravens from 2003-08.

Jim Washburn will be reuniting with veteran defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch, whom he coached for five of his 12 seasons (1999-2010) with the Tennessee Titans and called “one of my favorite players.”

“It’ll be great reuniting with him,” Jim Washburn said.

Having the chance to impact young talents like Suh and Fairley is another plus.

“It’s just fun to get a young guy with so much talent that you can help,” Jim Washburn said.

Washburn joined the Philadelphia Eagles’ staff in 2011 and was relieved of his duties there with four games left in the 2012 season.